Latest Cricket News: Michael Holding not ready to take back his comments regarding Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya

Michael Holding made critical comments about Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah last week, which didn’t go down well with the Indian public

Bumrah and Hardik both picked up a 5-wicket haul in the 3rd Test against England

However, even after their superb performance at Trent Bridge, Holding is not convinced completely and refuses to take back his comments

One big change that India made ahead of the 3rd Test match was bringing back Jasprit Bumrah into starting eleven after the 24-year-old passed a fitness test and was deemed available to take the field at Trent Bridge.

The move to bring Bumrah back worked wonders for India as the fast bowler picked up a total of 7 wickets, including a 5-wicket haul in the 2nd innings. The Mumbai Indians bowler bowled a brilliant spell in the 2nd innings and helped get rid of Jos Buttler to break an over 160-runs partnership that he was building with Ben Stokes.

Last week, a lot of cricket fans raised their eyebrows when West Indian legend Michael Holding during a commentary session during the 2nd Test said that Bumrah “is not a new-ball bowler” and he would “not pick Bumrah for the England series”. The former fast bowler was subsequently ridiculed on social media, especially after Bumrah’s match-winning spell on day 4 of the 3rd Test match.

During his commentary stint, Holding had also criticised Hardik Pandya and labelled him “nowhere close to Kapil Dev”. However, it was Pandya apart from Bumrah who turned out to be a key bowler for India, especially in the 1st innings when he picked up the first 5-wicket haul of his career.

Holding spoke to Times of India following India’s massive win at Trent Bridge and took the opportunity to clarify his comments from last week but in the end, refused to track back his statement about two of India’s most potent weapon in Nottingham.

“I would still not have him (Bumrah) as my opening bowler. Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami do a bit more with the brand new ball and they will remain my opening bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence,” said Holding while commenting on India’s most lethal limited-over bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Holding still rates Bumrah, but believes that the 24-year-old is much more effective with an older ball. He said,”What I have seen is he can get the ball to straighten from wide of the crease and is more effective with the slightly older ball.”

The comments which made headlines last week were regarding Hardik Pandya and his position as an all-rounder in the Indian team.

“Please go back and listen to or read what I have said about Pandya. I was more critical of the people who were telling me he is the next Kapil Dev, not of Pandya himself. I have gone on to say that he is not the man to fill that sort of role as yet, batting at No. 6 and bowling,” said Holding clarifying his comments about Pandya from last week.

India team is currently on an 8-day break before the 4th Test match starting on August 30th at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Virat Kohli will go into the next Test match as the number one batsman in the world following his Man of the Match performance in the 3rd Test match.